Kaymer makes Ryder Cup team

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Gleneagles, Scotland - Martin Kaymer was confirmed on Sunday as the 10th member of the European Ryder Cup team to take on the United States next month.

The German's place had been in doubt over the weekend while Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts was fighting to finish in the top two places in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The world ranking points available in Scotland would have taken the Belgian past Kaymer into the final qualifying place in the table that has provided captain Jose Maria Olazabal with 10 automatic members of his team.

However, blaming tiredness after a heavy run of tournaments, Colsaerts could shoot a level par 72 only in the final round which left him 10 shots behind the winner Peter Lawrie.

So Kaymer, who put his place at risk by preferring to stay at home in Scottsdale, Arizona, rather than travel to Gleneagles, will play for Europe despite missing cuts at the last two majors of the year. It will be his second Ryder Cup appearance after making his debut at Celtic Manor in 2010.

"I am obviously very happy to be in the team. A little relieved, yes, but overall it’s a great feeling to be in Jose Maria's Ryder Cup team," Kaymer said in a statement.

"I have been struggling with my game for the last few months but since the USPGA I have made a lot of progress with my coach (Gunther Kessler) and had some really good sessions.

"I have started to feel confident with what I am doing again, my fade is coming back and the ball striking is getting better and better."

Colsaerts still has a chance of gaining one of the two wild card picks which will be announced by Olazabal in Scotland on Monday morning.

Briton Ian Poulter, the winner of two big matchplay titles in the past two year looks certain to receive one of them. The second is likely to be between Colsaerts and Padraig Harrington.

"I'd like to think that I am still in a pretty good position but I am very very tired," Colsaerts said.

"It's more mentally than physically. I have only taken one week off in the last nine weeks because I want to play the Ryder Cup so badly. And it has been a very long summer for me trying to get an automatic spot."

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